Rekindling Rapture
by consensual-candy
Summary: Katniss never understood Careers. Cato was always misunderstood. Anger gets the better of them and the two are forced into something neither of them likes. Will the girl and boy on fire make the best of it, or will their flames burn with them? Might be M


He unnerved her. The way he stopped glaring at her with hatred when the other Careers did. The manner in which he gazed at her, as if sizing her up and down to gauge her expression. The devilish grins or raised eyebrows he aimed only at her when they caught each other looking at the other. As if they were indeed friends, sharing an insider joke. Or secret.

Katniss balked everytime he ended up fighting with a weaker tribute, looking as if he could snap him in half without even trying; yet the fury in those blazing blue eyes would soften and pale, long eyelashes would droop almost demurely when they locked onto hers.

She hated the way he would always be around her in the training centre, no matter how many times she switched stations. She hated how his Career 'friends' would immediately lose interest in her when she did nothing worth their attention such as tying simple knots, but he would always be lurking around her, intimidatingly muscled arms crossed and pose languid.

It made her hot and bothered, always having a pair of eyes upon her. She was almost grateful on the last day of training when he was nowhere to be found, instead replaced by the little twelve year old from district 11 who shadowed her, hiding behind pillars and sneaking a peek when she thought Katniss wasn't looking. Although she liked the little girl, Rue, she made it a point not to encourage her to follow her all the time. She reminded Katniss too much of Prim, the very reason why she had volunteered in the first place. Still, she would take Rue any other day over Cato.

Towards the end of the day, their trainer had called for them to practice hand-to-hand combat. A handful of tributes were left out of this activity such as the fourteen year old boy from district 4, Foxface, Rue and surprisingly, Peeta. Then it dawned on her that these tributes were either too young, too weak or had already proven their skills in this station. Immediately, Katniss wished she had followed Peeta to practice, knowing that having a hand-to-hand combat with him would be easy, not because he was weak but because he was patient, accommodating and so very kind.

She cursed under her breath. The remaining twenty tributes were separated into two groups, each lining one side of the station. She was on the left side, in between the girl from 10 and the boy from 7. On the other side, the Careers were guffawing over something which Katniss knew was probably really sick and twisted. True enough, the first girl in her line to combat with Clove ended up with a dislocated elbow and started bawling into tears. Katniss could feel vomit threaten to rise from her throat, yet it was more of disgust than fear itself.

Each time, somebody paired against a Career would leave scathed or severely injured, depending on how well they were able to evade their blows. A boy, who looked no older than her, had to jump out of the ring which led to a barrel of cruel laughter on their end. When it was finally her turn, she heaved a sigh of relief to find that she was paired with a harmless looking girl who looked as reluctant as her to combat. Behind her, the boy from 7 started trembling violently upon realising that the only tribute left for him was indeed, in all his glory, Cato.

Sympathizing with him, yet very much thankful that she had lucked out, she was about to proceed into the ring when there was a ruckus on the other side.

"But...but..." The girl stammered. Cato, obviously displeased, only had to glare at her for her to scamper behind him. Wait._ Behind_ him? Katniss froze in her footsteps, watching with disbelief as Cato ascended the steps, and entered the ring, looking at her expectantly.

"Hey! That's not fair!" She shouted, anger flooding her. He only gazed at her, then curled a long, slender looking finger in a come hither motion. '_Fine, if that's what you want.'_

Katniss leapt up the platform, glaring daggers at him and still seething. She had once thought that her anger fueled her determination, but this was most certainly not one of those circumstances. Instead, it seemed to distract her. This was so very apparent when she failed to move aside when Cato barreled at her, sending her crashing to the ground. His form followed after, pressing against her for a second before she came to her senses and tackled him. Freeing herself, she made an attempt to hit him but her arm was caught in a deadlock and ended up smashing itself against her cheek instead. _How the hell did he...?_

Frighteningly enough, his arm really was riled around hers, twisting it at an awkward angle and resulting in the blow meant for him to be afflicted on her instead. She tried to back him up against the ring then throw him off but he sensed this, lifting her with one arm and pummeling her front against the floor. She cried out, feeling pangs of pain running up her shoulder blade and a numbing sensation. _Stupid, stupid me._

Not only had she underestimated his speed, but his strength and agility too. Now, she was stuck beneath him, helpless and at his mercy. '_He's probably going to snap my arm.' _She thought. This time, she felt her anger ebb away like the receding tide to be overtaken by a wave of fear. _It's uncanny how I was never afraid, even when I volunteered in place of Prim and only to start now because of him._

Cato's legs, splayed against the back of her upper thighs, was not only intrusive but did not help to diminish her fear either for she could feel the hard muscles and strength in those limbs. Before she could help it, she started shaking. She was sure he could feel it too, being in such close proximity to her. His chest grazed her back, his face suddenly too close to hers.

"Are you afraid?" He breathed into her right ear, sending chills down her spine. She turned away. He laughed then, his breath fanning her hair. "Now, it's okay, there's only me and you. See?"

Katniss lifted her head as high as she could, realising that the remaining two tributes had left the training centre and their trainer was too busy engaged in conversation with one of the sponsors to help her. She only managed to give a small shout before Cato's hand was upon her mouth, drowning out her cry of help. "Always fighting, aren't you?"

She screamed into his hand, roving her body around to try and escape. His other hand went around the small of her back, holding her in place and leaving no room for movement at all.

"Tsk. You're just making it harder the more you struggle."

_"What do you want?" _She shouted, clear enough for him to make out. "What do _I _want?" He repeated, as if amused at her question. Katniss fought the urge to throttle him. If only she could. If only he weren't so damn strong and fast.

He leaned his chin into the crook of her shoulder, soft blonde hair caressing her face, completely contradicting the iron grip he had on her wrist. Her breathing became more rapid, definitely out of fear and something else; she wasn't sure.

"If I told you, I'd probably have to kill you."

"What?" Before he could respond, Katniss managed to elbow him in the neck by garnering a sudden surge of strength. She rolled out from underneath him, rubbing at her sore wrists and tried to catapult out of the ring. To hell to whether it was disgraceful or embarrassing or whatnot. Her life was more important than losing face. Then, all of a sudden, she felt her legs being lifted off the ground. It took her a few seconds to realise that Cato had held her up by the neck, using only _one_ arm. His face was grave and he looked incensed.

"I could kill you right here, right now. I could snap you neck and you wouldn't even have time to blink. Do you know who you're messing with?" He raged. Both her hands closed around his, trying to ease the pressure but to no avail. His eyes were crazed, combusting in flames and his handsome face was beginning to blur.

_I won't beg for my life. I won't. _

Blackness started to line the edges of her vision. She felt her body go limp and frail, her hands that were upon his dropping away to glide over his arm. Her head tossed back, wavy black hair dipping backwards to form a halo around them. In the end, her legs stopped flailing and her entire being slumped against him, revealing her slender neck now lined with bruises.

_I'm dying. I really am. I won't see Prim, or my mother or my district anymore. This is the end. _

The last thing she ever saw; a boy just two years older than her, with the body of a man and almost shockingly fiery blue eyes with ashen, straight blonde hair. She supposed he really was a sight to behold. A sort of angel with the heart of a devil.

And her last breath, the last thing she would ever say...

"Cato."


End file.
